1852.] 203 



San Francisco Mountain, New Mexico. One of the specimens in the collection 

 of the Academy is from Mexico, the others are from Texas. My specimen is 

 from New Mexico. When obtained it was feeding in company with S. oregonns 

 and various species of Parus, and it appeared very similar to the former and 

 the common snow bird (S. hyemalis) in its habits. 



The Committee on the following papers by Dr. Hallowell namely, 

 " On a new Genus and two new Species of African Serpents," and 

 '* On a new Genus and new Species of Reptiles, inhabiting North 

 America," reported in favor of publication in the Proceedings : 



On a nexo Gtnus and two new species of African Serpents. 



By Edward Hallowell, M. D. 



DiNOPHIS Hallowell. 



Gen. Char. Form, that of a tree snake ; perforated fangs in the anterior part 

 of the upper jaw, immovable; several of the anterior teeth of the lower jaw 

 longer than the others ; but two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, the exterior row 

 not existing; two rows in the lower jaw, quite short; no loral plate; 4 poste- 

 rior,* 3 anterior orbital plates ; tail long, sub-caudal scales bifid. 



DiNOPHIS Hammondii. 



Sp. Char. Head olive color above, superior labials bordered with black ; 

 body above and upon sides green; total length about six feet; thirteen rows of 

 long and smooth scales. Abdom. scuta 127. Sub-caud. 116. 



Description. The head is long, rounded and narrow in front, covered above 

 with nine plates ; the upper surface in front of the orbit is flattened ; between 

 the orbit it is convex, and also, but to a less extent, upon the occiput; the ros- 

 tral is large, heptagonal, much broader below than above, excavated inferiorly, 

 rounded in front; the anterior frontal are much smaller than the posterior, and 

 are more or less quadrilateral in shape ; the posterior frontal are very large, 

 irregularly quadrilateral; they are prolonged externally upon the sides of the 

 head, passing downward between the posterior nasal and the two superior ant- 

 ocular plates ; the vertical plate is short, very broad anteriorly ; the supra- 

 orbital are also short, projecting very slightly over the eye, naxrow in front, 

 broad behind ; the occipital are very large and pentangular, much larger than 

 broad ; there are two nasal plates of nearly equal size, the anterior somewhat 

 larger, with the nostrals between them ; the external openings for the latter are 

 quite large; there is no loral plate; there are three antocular and four poste- 

 rior-oculars; the superior antocular is the largest of the three; it is prolonged 

 superiorly, so as to form a part of the upper surface of the head, entering in be- 

 tween the posterior frontal and the vertical and supra-orbital plates ; the inferior 

 antocular is small and quadrilateral, the middle long and slender ; there are eight 

 plates upon the margin of the upper jaw ; of these the seventh is the largest, and 

 is remarkable for its unusual form ; its superior margin is nearly straight, its pos- 

 terior and inferior very much curved ; the plate on the leftside in the specimen 

 examined differs considerably from that on the right, being more prolonged, and 

 also truncated posteriorly ; the fourth labial plate forms part of the inferior 

 margin of the orbit, the remainder being completed by the inferior, anterior, 

 and posterior oculars ; there is a long, triangular, temporal plate occupying 

 the space between the occipital and the seventh superior labial ; the eyes are 

 of moderate size, slightly projecting ; there are but two rows of teeth in the 

 upper jaw, one on each side, and two in the lower ; in the front part of the 



* In one of the specimens there are but three posterior oculars. 



